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BBE 1302 Wood as a Raw Material (3 credits)

Wood as a Raw Material is essentially the same course that over 3,000 forestry and wood products students have completed while studying at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus. This course is now available as a distance education offering using a University of Minnesota-produced CD-ROM The Nature of Wood and Wood Products in combination with unlimited access to U of M instructors throughout the course of study.

Topics include:

• The nature of wood.
• How properties of various kinds of wood differ and why.
• Techniques for modifying wood properties so as to improve performance.
• Fundamental characteristics of the principal wood products and essential features that define their proper application and use.
• Limitations to wood use.
• How wood products are measured and units used in commercial trade.

How to Register

Registering for BBE 1302 is easy. Simply complete the Adult Special Application Form (19 KB PDF) for the University of Minnesota and send to:

Bill Ganzlin
Director of Student Services
College of Natural Resources
University of Minnesota
2003 Upper Buford Circle
St. Paul, MN 55108

Once this is approved you can register online. Course fees are based on in-state tuition rates ( $291.85 per credit per credit for 2006/2007) no matter where you are located worldwide.

Syllabus

Organization of the course:

This course is administered via a series of independent study sessions based on the CD-ROM The Nature of Wood and Wood Products and on the textbook Forest Products and Wood Science - an Introduction.

The anatomical structure of wood will be the subject of the first one-third of the course, followed in the next one-third by a study of wood's physical properties. An examination of raw material measurement and conversion to useful products will conclude the course.

Individuals for whom the course is intended:

1. Students in the Forest Resources curriculum take this course to gain a basic understanding of what the forest products industries produce, the raw material used by these industries, and the nature and properties of wood which affect how and what kind of wood materials can be utilized.
2. Bio-based Products students take this course as an introduction to the field to provide them an information base for further courses they will take in forest products. This is designed as a sophomore level course. No previous knowledge of forestry or forest products is assumed. Transfer students should take this course as soon as possible after transfer, most commonly in fall quarter of their junior year.
3. Non-forestry or forest products students who are interested in learning more about wood as a construction and general use material

Course Objectives:

There are two general objectives of the course:

1. To allow students to learn of the physical nature of wood and how this physical nature affects both the type of products which can be made from wood and the properties of these products. Unless the student has a firm understanding of what wood is and how it varies between and within species, problems which arise in its utilization cannot be fully appreciated. Foresters are very often involved directly in these problems of utilization.
2. To provide students with an understanding of the industries which depend upon wood for their raw materials, the type and quality of wood required by these industries, and the method of measuring and evaluating various types of wood raw materials.

Grading in the course:

The students' final grade for the course will be determined by two exams given during the semester which will each comprise 30% of the grade and by the final examination which will make up the remaining 40%. All students are required to take the final examination.

Exams will cover material covered in assigned readings, in CD-ROM modules, and in problem sets. As part of preparation for examinations students are strongly encouraged to study review sections found at the end of each chapter in the course text and at the end of each module on the CD.

The following is reproduced from an earlier College bulletin and explains the grading philosophy in this course:

A - Achievement that is outstanding relative to the level necessary to meet course requirements.
B - Achievement significantly above the level necessary to meet course requirements.
C - Achievement that meets the basic course requirements in every respect.
D - Achievement worthy of credit even though it does not fully meet the basic course requirements in every respect.
S - Achievement satisfactory to the instructor, for the program in which the student is registered. This definition is intended to imply that the standards for S may vary from one program to another.
F - Assigned when the student does not earn an S or a D or higher and is not assigned an I.

Text:

Bowyer, J.L., R. Shmulsky, and J.G. Haygreen. 2003. Forest Products and Wood Science - an Introduction, 4th Ed. Ames: Iowa State Press. (Can be purchased in the St. Paul Campus bookstore or ordered online at
store.blackwell-professional.com/0813826543.html.)

CD-ROM:

Bowyer, J.L. and Smith, R. 1998. The Nature of Wood and Wood Products, Version 1.1. University of Minnesota: Forest Products Management Development Institute. (Can be ordered online at www.forestprod.org.)

Topic Outline and Reading Assignments